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Thursday, 20 April 2017

Back underway.

We have been away home again for a week from last Thursday. I didn't get round to writing up our last day so I have added it today.

This sculpture is just after Bridge 92 where the Nantwich Basin is, along with the services. The basin is the terminus of the original Chester Canal. The Birmingham and Liverpool Canal being built by Thomas Telford from the south was planned to join at the end to make a seamless union. It seems the local land owner at Dorfold Hall refused permission and They had to build the large embankment that took years to settle and be usable. I love this sculpture as it really looks as if the horse is leaning into the load to start in moving.

Just a short way from Barbridge Junction and passing the Barbridge Inn. It is starting to get busy.

Helen jumped off at the junction and then realised that there was a long line of moorings so she had to walk on a while. I'm sure that it would have done her good, and meant that I had a rare photo of me on the stern.

We were duly found a slot at Venetian Marina and were soon picked up by Enterprise, car loaded and on our way. The traffic was getting a bit heavy as it was the last day before bank holiday. The trip home took longer than expected but we made it with out incident.

The rest of the week seems like a month as we just haven't stopped doing things with our daughter before she returned home, City of Culture, volunteering and enjoying some of the events too. I also had my History walks to guide and get ready for my first pub walk too. It is great to be back on the boat after a much quicker trip. The car was unloaded and returned and water topped up before we set off out of the marina and off up the Middlewich Branch

Just leaving our bay of Ventitian Marina. The wind was kind today so getting out round the pontoons was fine.

The only lock of the day was Minshull Lock. There always seems to be a small, or big, queue on this canal and today was no different. One down and one up before us but not a long delay.

We passed Aqueduct Marina and a little further on was the actual aqueduct that traverses the River Weaver. I had forgotten how high above the river the canal is.

We didn't go much further and pulled over at the moorings overlooking Church Minshull.

Despite both of us being knackered I had brought a part bag of postcrete I had, an old plastic bucket from fat balls for birds and some chain. My idea was to create a multi-purpose weight. One use as a mud weight to hold the bow on some moorings, or assist going long distances going astern etc, another was maybe to corect slight lists, and the other was as a secure point to place the foot of our aerial pole, which is really a man-help. We will have to see if it works.